That pays next to nothing.

A few months before graduating, I decided to try something totally new and went to work for a non-profit. Although I know I’m doing great work for a worthy cause, giving back to society in my current position doesn’t make near enough to be “big ballin” as they say.

So how do I pay my bills AND go out for happy hour? Welcome to the hustle a.k.a. doing freelance work to make some extra cash.

Figure out what you’re good at: Write down five hobbies/interest and five skills. Do you love fashion or cooking? Do you like to run or make pottery? Are you organized, articulate, web savvy, etc? It can be anything, just write it down!

Combine a hobby/interest and a skill into something you can sell: So, let’s say you love to cook and are articulate. Maybe you could give group cooking classes. Or maybe you’re an avid runner, who’s also web savvy. Ever think of sharing your tips, tricks and routes with others who want to start running through an online subscription service? Think creatively, no idea is too out there!

Research the need for that skill: Be honest with yourself, would you pay someone for this service/product? Yes? Now check Craigslist or do a Google search to see if others ARE selling this service/product? They are? Good, that means there’s demand for it!

Market yourself to potential clientele: Do NOT go about this haphazardly! Do your research and find your niche. Figure out what your selling exactly, how much you should charge, who would be interested and then where to advertise.

Now do it: Although this seems like an obvious step, people can start to doubt themselves and their abilities. DON’T! Yes, you’ll probably hear a lot of no’s and spend weeks with no one answering you back, but that’s OK! Be persistent, be smart, change up your strategy if need be, but know, you can do this!

Tatiana currently works for a non-profit that helps children with their literacy skills. She enjoys nice long walks to nowhere in particular, her coffee with milk and Splenda and non-fiction books. For more of her tips, tricks and writing, please email her at tg.writes(@)gmail.com.

Do you have advice for recent grads? Real life advice and stories that you wish someone had told you. Submit your idea to editor (at) collegecandy (dot) com.

We’ve all been subjected to them, but which of the most widely known Freshman Year stereotypes are false?

#1 The Freshman Fifteen- This is the alligators-in-the-sewers equivalent of college urban legends. Paranoia runs wild in freshman dorms in front of the mirrors, as we wonder if That Dessert just contributed to the infamous Fifteen. The truth is, if you don’t stuff your face at the all-you-can-eat cafeteria, and make some effort at aerobic activity, it’s not going to happen to you. With the stress of being in a completely new situation, I actually lost weight, and went through a phase where I couldn’t eat. With a trip to the gym a couple times a week, or simply knowing when to push back from the table, you’ll be absolutely safe from the mythical menace. The Freshman Fifteen, like most urban legends, is what you make it.

#2 You’ll be broke and living on Ramen Noodles- Absolutely false. Most colleges have an amazing setup of places on campus where you can eat using your meal plan, no extra money necessary. While Ramen Noodles are absolutely tasty, eating them is absolutely your choice. If by chance you do end up wanting spare cash, your college should offer a variety of part-time jobs you can work, often in more than one place. Ironically, despite their price tag, colleges understand that college students want money, and there are continuous jobs available for students. Be careful, though:work too many hours, and your grades may suffer.

#3 The dorms are full of constant parties, and nobody gets any studying done- This varies from dorm to dorm, but generally in freshman dorms, this is false. Nobody’s legal age, yet, and most of us are finding out that college classes are a lot harder than high school classes. While there are wild moments (fire trucks consistently show up with sirens blazing at the all-male dorm next to mine), and wild people (like the person who keeps setting trashcan fires in the Business building), you tend to have to seek out parties, rather than evade them. In the event that you are in the party dorm, you still have two options: the library is open almost all night, or you can join in.

#4 You Shouldn’t Be In A Relationship Freshman Year- Obvi, this depends entirely on you and whether you want an exclusive relationship. Personally, I chose to date my first semester, and while it was the right choice for me, I handled it badly. There’s a lot of responsibility associated with having a boyfriend your first semester of college (not skipping class to sleep in with him, or going out every night with him and blowing off assigned reading), and it can be fun to play the field a bit as a single lady. In the end though, like college itself, it’s all on you and what you choose to do.

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When it comes to finding ways to make cash, my motto is “anything except prostitution and drugs” (I’d even strip, but sadly, I dance like a blind five-year-old and would most likely kill myself in five inch heels). I’ve worked a lot of odd jobs, and sometimes feel like I’d do almost anything for an extra hundred bucks.

That’s where science comes in.

Poor college kids all over the country have found a way make money fast, easily, and by doing almost no work: they become lab rats.

Log onto to your city’s Craigslist, look up at subway ads or even in the classifieds in your school’s paper–advertisements for “study participants” are everywhere. Research experiments usually need people, and who has time to take a few hours out of their day to watch simultaneous images of turtles and hard core pornography? College kids.

Sometimes, a study will need a specific type of person; supposed insomniacs, sufferers of acute PMS, individuals that are SEVERELY obese (I saw that ad on Craigslist the other day. They really did capitalize “severely”. I guess they wanted the fattest people they could find), or those with depression, but most of the time, universities and hospitals just need a warm body to do something odd for an hour or so while they observe.

Hey, if you’re going to give me 100 dollars in cash, I’ll sit in a tiny cubicle and watch images on a screen. I’ll taste test anything you want. I’ll even watch movie sex scenes and let you take my vitals at the same time! Who cares if it’s slightly embarrassing? Who cares if I need to stay up for 24 hours straight? I embarrass myself and pull all-nighters all the time! I’ll surely do it for money.

Just tell me where to sign.